Repack Rider
10-28-2016, 01:51 PM
For the last 35 years I have heard about all the bicyclists who rode on dirt before it became a "thing" in Marin County. While this is undeniable, the sport we now call "mountain biking" emerged at a definite time and place. October 21, 1976 was the day I accompanied a half dozen friends to the top of a steep dirt road. The object was to settle once and for all who was the fastest downhill on our modified Schwinn "clunkers."
This was a response to the end of every ride, as the number of riders taking part in this goofy hobby increased. Every ride finished with a savage, dicing, dangerous race to the bottom of whatever hill we had ridden to the top of. It's okay with three or four riders, but with a dozen, it's crazy.
So we put together a timing system and had a race, figuring it was a one-time goof. That race settled nothing, because it turns out that everyone who loses wants another shot at the title. Also, it turns out that having a steep hill all to yourself and a bike made to ride on it is more fun than...well, more fun than anything. Losing was barely less fun than winning. If you didn't have a shot at the title, you could see if you could beat your previous time.
This competition led to the creation of bikes built from the ground up for racing downhill on dirt. It turned out they were good for a lot of other things in addition to that, but downhill racing was the crucible that forged the sport.
Here's Joe Breeze, on the importance of these races to the development of mountain biking. (http://mmbhof.org/mtn-bike-hall-of-fame/history/repack-history/)
Here are a couple of links to mainstream articles about the anniversary event.
Bike Biz (http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/repack-is-forty-on-friday/020215)
South Africa Tread magazine (http://www.treadmtb.co.za/mountain-biking-hits-the-big-four-oh/)
My own page on the subject. (http://www.sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/repack.htm)
Poster from 1979
This was a response to the end of every ride, as the number of riders taking part in this goofy hobby increased. Every ride finished with a savage, dicing, dangerous race to the bottom of whatever hill we had ridden to the top of. It's okay with three or four riders, but with a dozen, it's crazy.
So we put together a timing system and had a race, figuring it was a one-time goof. That race settled nothing, because it turns out that everyone who loses wants another shot at the title. Also, it turns out that having a steep hill all to yourself and a bike made to ride on it is more fun than...well, more fun than anything. Losing was barely less fun than winning. If you didn't have a shot at the title, you could see if you could beat your previous time.
This competition led to the creation of bikes built from the ground up for racing downhill on dirt. It turned out they were good for a lot of other things in addition to that, but downhill racing was the crucible that forged the sport.
Here's Joe Breeze, on the importance of these races to the development of mountain biking. (http://mmbhof.org/mtn-bike-hall-of-fame/history/repack-history/)
Here are a couple of links to mainstream articles about the anniversary event.
Bike Biz (http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/repack-is-forty-on-friday/020215)
South Africa Tread magazine (http://www.treadmtb.co.za/mountain-biking-hits-the-big-four-oh/)
My own page on the subject. (http://www.sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/repack.htm)
Poster from 1979